That's why next VirtualMIDISynth versions will have MIDIMapper setting disabled on Windows 8. If you don't have it (and your software will use #0), you're out of luck: your software will use the first in the devices list. The only way to select a specific device is use a MIDI software with a configuration option to select a device. I suppose device numbering is now done alphabetically, but I can't confirm it.Īnyway #0 won't lead to a well known situation like in pre-Windows 8 era #0 could be MGWS or any other one.

I wrote 'REQUIRED' because, worst of all, MGWS is now installed with some sort of 'dynamic' ID: #0 out of the box, but it becomes #1 if you install another one (like VirtualMIDISynth or an USB MIDI device). On Windows 8 the MIDIMapper device has been completely removed so MIDI softwares are now REQUIRED to select a specific device (no selection still means #0). Windows Vista / 7: same as above, but MIDIMapper configuration disappeared from control panel (registry settings were still available, so some third part tools were released as workaround).Windows XP: device #0 is MIDIMapper, #1 is MGWS and so on.It all worked up to Windows 7, but getting worst version by version: This chain worked well: default users had a working MIDI synthesis out of the box. There are a lot of softwares around without this setting available (think about game emulators and Active Movie based players, like Windows Media Player and MediaPlayer classic): they all use #0 by default.ĭevice #0 is MIDIMapper -> MIDIMapper is configured to use MGWS -> MGWS will play your MIDI. your MIDI player) starts playing, it should select a MIDI out device otherwise #0 is used. So on Windows XP, programmers had 2 well known devices: #0 (MIDIMapper) and #1 (MGWS), the former preconfigured to use the latter. MGWS is a (low quality) software wave synth, installed as MIDI out device #1. MIDIMapper, as said, was bundled with Windows, installed as MIDI device #0 and preconfigured to use the first available 'real' device (see below).Īnother MIDI device was bundled, the well known Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth ( MGWS from now on). This device was not a real device, but a sort of 'pipe': it receives a MIDI stream on its input and drive it to an user configured (real) MIDI out device. Users were able to configure their preferred MIDI out device, and this settings was used by MIDIMapper, a special MIDI out device bundled with XP. Let's get back to Windows XP era, where MIDI was 'exposed' to the public and it had its own place into 'Sound and Multimedia' control panel application. I've done some research and tests on the arguments, but the available documentation is really 'poor' (confirming my feeling about Microsoft intention to drop it out). The number of help requests I'm getting from Windows 8 users trying to use MIDI programs is growing day by day.

Microsoft midi mapper windows 8